The region of the Pays de la Loire includes the departments of Loire-Atlantique, Maine-et-Loire, Mayenne, Sarthe, and Vendée with Nantes as its Capital and biggest city. It is one I come often, too much in fact ….as my gateway to the world is now the Nantes Atlantique airport. And of course, the Loire river passes by here too ,but not to be confused with the other region Centre-Val-de-Loire:J
I have to say here, as different to the other regions , the Pays de la Loire does not correspond in their creation (1955) to any other entity that was there before or historically there before. The five department that are included here were done strictly on arbitrary decisions on a political vein. The Pays de la Loire regroups pieces of the old provinces of Anjou, Bretagne, Maine, Perche, and Poitou.
The appearance here of the dept 44 Loire-Atlantique in this region while for centuries was part of Brittany is still a subject of heated arguments with many locals from the Nantes and south region considering themselves still Bretons (and they are !). From the High Middle Ages the region of Nantes belongs to Brittany, king Nominoé the Breton who integrated the region of the county of Nantes to the kingdom of Brittany thanks to his victory in 843AD. In 851AD the treaty of Angers validates the integration to the Breton domaine. In 1532, the duchy of Brittany is reunited in marriage to the kingdom of France ,however, the region is marked at the French revolution and the wars of the Vendée as well as the Chouannerie Breton the biggest uprisings to the central power in the history of France. Atrociously terminated in massacres all over the region that still has its scars, remaining stubbornly independent.
Some of the languages spoken here other than French are Angevin to the east of the dept 44 Loire-Atlantique and in the department of Maine-et-Loire, Mayenne, and Sarthe. Gallo in the Loire Atlantique, Poitevin in the Vendée, and of course Breton on the coasts of the Loire Atlantique.
Transport on the road is still limited on the N165, A844, N249, roads and comes around as Nantes as the central directional point. The site for transport information for the region is Destineo here: http://www.destineo.fr/fr/#
Also ,the TER Pays de la Loire which I take often is here: https://www.ter.sncf.com/pays-de-la-loire
The transport is still in regrouping mode and still some of the old names are still in effect ,you can find them here by departments
http://www.paysdelaloire.fr/services-en-ligne/transport-en-car-en-pays-de-la-loire/
And on Nantes that I come often business or leisure, the transport site in the area is TAN even with some info in English here: https://www.tan.fr/welcome-to-nantes-35406.kjsp?RH=1417441489347
The airport Nantes Atlantique a wonderful experience for the last 7 yrs! is here: https://www.nantes.aeroport.fr/fr
As far as sights enormous!! Part of the region is Unesco under the name Val de Loire. The area extend on the department of Maine-et-Loire,from Montsoreau to Chalonnes-sur-Loire. Sharing part of it with the region of Centre-Val de Loire. The Pays de la Loire region ,also has castles such as Château de Montsoreau, Montreuil-Bellay,Saumur, Brissac, Le Lude, Baugé, Serrant, Angers and Plessis-Bourré. Some of the towns are, also recognised in France as cities of Art and History such as Angers, Fontenay-le-Comte, Laval, Le Mans, Guérande, Nantes , and Saumur. Many of these already mentioned on posts in my blog.
More tourist information can be found in French here: https://www.enpaysdelaloire.com/
External site with more tourist information in English here: http://www.loire.visite.org/EN/tourisme-patrimoine_0_3.php
And of course, one picture to showcase the region, such as the Castle of the Dukes of Brittany in Nantes, yes in Pays de la Loire; I told you so.
Enjoy your week; Cheers!!
Paris1972-Versailles2003 